Pot Luck
By Don Waller
’Tis the week after Christmas, and we’re all stuffed from the feasts. We’ve been living on leftovers and nursing our hangovers, and now there’s yet another set of holidays to wrap our heads, hearts, and stomachs around: New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
One’s a moral holiday, the other’s a time for sober reflection, for looking back as well as forward. And, after looking back on a year of job losses (whether from outsourcing, the writers’ strike, or the continuing meltdown of the record business), home foreclosures, environmental destruction, the national health insurance crisis, and a war that has no end, we’re all looking forward to a
little bit of … luck.
Fortunately, there’s Hoppin’ John – a one-dish combination of black-eyed peas and rice that’s traditionally served throughout the Southern U.S. on New Year’s Day to ensure good luck in the coming year. Well, as a second-generation L.A. native, I’m from the South – Southern California, anyway – and, since I and just about everyone I know could use a whole lotta luck next year, I’ll be whipping up enough Hoppin’ John to feed a dozen people. It’s simple, but it takes a while to cook, so make it a day ahead. It’s easily reheatable (and only gets better, ’cause the flavors marry overnight).
Most folks cook Hoppin’ John on top of the stove, but for space-saving efficiency, I’m gonna place 2 1/2 cups of dried black-eyed peas, two pounds of smoked ham hocks, two medium onions (cut into quarters, then thinly sliced), two crushed dried red chilis (complete with seeds), and a teaspoon of salt in a large pot. Pour in 10 cups of boiling water, cover, and bake in a preheated oven at 250 degrees for at least three hours (’til beans are nearly cooked through).
Drain the stock and set it aside. Remove the ham hocks; separate the meat from the rind and bones, chop it and toss it back into the pot. Throw in two cups of rice and 3 3/4 cups of the stock. Cover, return to the oven for another two hours, and you’re done. (Use the extra stock to moisten the dish when reheating, to keep it from scorching.)
Hoppin’ John – no one knows where the name comes from, although a drawling pronunciation of pois pigeons (the French word for black-eyed peas, a.k.a. cowpeas or crowder peas) seems the most likely explanation – is generally served with cornbread and collard greens. Again, the latter are – owing to their resemblance to U.S. paper currency – traditionally thought to increase the eater’s chances of future financial windfall. One more reason for me (and you) to cook up a mess o’ greens, too.
Start with five pounds of collard greens. Cut away the hard middle stems. Tear the leaves into pieces the size of your hand. While you’re doing this, place a half-pound of smoked pork neck bones in four quarts of water, bring to a boil, and let simmer for 30 minutes. Throw the greens into the pot and simmer for two hours. (I like to use a mixture of collard, turnip, and mustard greens, adding the turnip greens after the first hour and the mustard greens during the last 20 minutes of simmering.)
To serve, remove the cooked greens from the pot with a slotted spoon. Use the abovementioned cornbread to sop up the nutrient-rich, remaining “pot likker.”
Greens – and Hoppin’ John – are generally seasoned with red pepper vinegar, which you can easily make yourself. Place 1/4 cup crushed dried chilis (with seeds) in a non-reactive pan with 2/3 cup of cider vinegar and 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and strain (or not). Let it cool, pour into a bottle (one with a strainer-cap is best), and place on table for guests to use as they wish.
Good eating … and good luck.
Illustration by Scott Gandell
Published: 12/27/2007
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